A founding poet of the Nuyorican poetry movement, Jesus Papoleto Melendez is the author of four volumes of poetry inspired by life in El Barrio: Casting Long Shadows (1970), Street Poetry and Other Poems (1972), Concertos on Market Street (1993), Hey Yo! Yo Soy! 40 Years of Nuyorican Street Poetry: The Collected Works of Jesus Papoleto Melendez (2012, Volume 1).

A founding poet of the Nuyorican poetry movement, Jesus Papoleto Melendez is the author of four volumes of poetry inspired by life in El Barrio: Casting Long Shadows (1970), Street Poetry and Other Poems (1972), Concertos on Market Street (1993), Hey Yo! Yo Soy! 40 Years of Nuyorican Street Poetry: The Collected Works of Jesus Papoleto Melendez (2012, Volume 1).

His work has been featured in The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature (2011), Nuyorican Poetry: An Anthology of Puerto Rican Words and Feelings (1975), Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam (2001). His play, “The Junkies Stole the Clock,” was produced by Joseph Papp’s Public Theatre, New York Shakespeare NuyoricanPlaywrights’ Unit, and he has won numerous awards and fellowships in the arts.